


Language of Roses

by TheFoolsKnight



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Eldest Curses Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gardener Alec Lightwood, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage, Prince Magnus Bane, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-01-29 14:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21411817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFoolsKnight/pseuds/TheFoolsKnight
Summary: Magnus Bane is a Prince who turns down every proposal he gets, because he's in love with the cute gardener.Alec Lightwood is a gardener who secretly leaves flowers for the Prince whom he loves, every single night.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 37
Kudos: 288





	1. A Subtle Sign

"Why not?"  
Magnus resisted the urge to bite his lip and answered, "She's too loud."  
"Last time you complained that they were too shy."  
"Well, that was because they hardly spoke a word to me," Magnus huffed. "I need someone who talks a right amount, father."  
His father the King, sitting on the throne in front of him, grumbled something under his breath. Almost every single time Magnus saw him was on that throne. Sometimes he wondered if his father slept on the throne.  
"What kind of a bride - or groom" the King added petulantly, "Do you want, Magnus? Every single time I find a proposal for you, you always turn them down. Sometimes it's because of how much they talk. Sometimes, it's because their clothes aren't shiny enough. Sometimes, it's because they're too rude, or too arrogant, or pompous. What will satisfy you?"  
"You not finding me any more proposals," Magnus muttered. His father, unfortunately, heard the comment and gave him a long lecture about how he was of age and needed a person capable of ruling by his side and how he was a disgrace to the family and how unfortunate it was that he was the sole heir that had his ears bleeding by the end. Most of the things just flew right over Magnus's head - he didn't really care about what his father thought for this was probably the thousandth time he was on the receiving end of this lecture.  
He waited till it ended, then bid his father goodnight cheerfully (it never failed to rile him up) and set down the long stone corridors to the north tower, where he resided.  
There were two reasons he always turned down the proposals. The first was to annoy his father, and the second...  
The smell of roses reached Magnus first, and then the sight of his bedroom door, half open. Candlelight spilled out of the room, casting a golden glow on the floor outside. Magnus poked his head through the half open door and was greeted by the sight of the gardener, arranging roses in the ornate vase in the bedroom.  
Ah, yes. The second reason - Alexander Gideon Lightwood, the cutest gardener in the kingdom, and the one who owned Magnus's heart, though he didn't know it.  
Alec had been working in the royal gardens for as long as he could remember. There had been a war, and Alec and his siblings -two brothers and a sister, all younger- were orphaned. Alec had managed to find work in the gardens, but whatever income he got he spent on his siblings' education and welfare. Several times Magnus had offered to help him, and each time Alec turned him down. Alec was selfless, and kind, and responsible. Magnus often thought that there was no one worthier than Alexander in the entire world of ruling by his side.  
But for some God forsaken reason, Magnus's father was alright with him marrying a man, but not a commoner. People were strange.  
Magnus watched as Alec smiled at his handiwork, pleased with himself, and decided that it was time for him to enter.  
"Good evening, Alexander," Magnus said, stepping into the room. Alec started, almost knocking the vase over, and turned.  
"Your Majesty," Alec said, dropping into a bow. "Good evening."  
"There's no need for all the formality, Alexander," Magnus said, flopping onto his bed in a way that would have his father yelling at him. "Just call me Magnus."  
"Only if you call me Alec, and not Alexander," Alec replied with an easy smile. A soft blush dusted his features, and Magnus shifted his gaze from Alec's face to the vase behind him.  
"I see you're the one leaving flowers for me every night," Magnus said, and Alec's skin turned a slightly darker shade of red. He looked like a deer that had jumped right into the path of an incoming chariot. "Why?"  
"I, um, well, Is- Isabelle, my sister, she, uh, she told me that you liked roses, and I just.. I just thought..."  
"Relax, Alexander," he said. Alec visibly seemed to relax, his shoulders drooping and smile flickering back to life, until Magnus reached past him and he tensed up again.  
"Red," Magnus muttered under his breath, noting the color of the roses. "For passionate love."  
"Wh-what?" Alec stuttered.  
"Red roses. They symbolise passionate and sexual love," Magnus explained, his gaze level with Alec's. Alec's face now almost matched the color of the roses.  
"Why are you telling me that?" Alec asked, his voice half-soft, half-husky with nerves.  
Magnus smiled at him gently. "I think you know why."  
"I... I need to go." Alec's eyes dropped to the ground, and he muttered some excuse about his carnations. Magnus dropped his hand and stepped back to let him go, watching him as he did so.  
Magnus looked again at the roses. Alec could try hiding his feelings all he wanted, but to Magnus it was all too obvious.  
In that moment, he decided that no matter what, it would be Alec by his side; as his partner, his lover, his Prince Consort.


	2. An Invitation

It wasn't until a few days later that Magnus caught Alec in his room again, arranging the roses. Clearly, the gardener had been making sure that his visits to the bedroom hadn't been overlapping with Magnus's. How sneaky.

But this time Magnus had gone one step ahead of him, arriving at his bedroom before his customary meeting with his father to take a look at prospective proposals instead of after like he usually did. And he knew the yelling he would surely receive later would be worth it when he bumped into Alec, quite literally, when he opened the door.

"Your Majesty!" Alec exclaimed, his face immediately turning a rosy red. "I'm so sorry, I-"

"It's quite alright, Alexander," Magnus said, moving forward so that Alec would have no where else to go but back, right into the bedroom. He shut the door behind him, wishing he could stay here forever, but alas, he had to look at the faces of Lady This and Lady That even though he didn't want to.

"I told you not to call me Alexander," Alec mumbled, his eyes looking steadily at Magnus.

"And I told you not to refer to me as 'Your Majesty'," Magnus replied. "Not when we're alone, anyway." 

"Okay... Magnus," Alec said, and Magnus took a moment to appreciate how his name sounded when Alec said it. "Can I please leave now?"

Magnus smiled and was about to reply with something coy when a harsh knock sounded at the door. 

"Your Majesty!" came the voice of a guard. "His Majesty the King has requested for your presence immediately. He asked me to personally escort you to his office."

Magnus rolled his eyes and internally groaned. He had several harsh words for that guard but chose to bite his tongue for now.

"Give me a minute, Bernard," Magnus called out, and moved towards Alec, putting a hand on his shoulder. Before Alec could protest, he leaned in and kissed his gardener on the cheek.

"Come to my room tonight. I want to talk to you," he whispered in Alec's ear. When he pulled away, Alec was looking at him curiously, his face red.

"When you say 'talk', do you mean...?"

"I mean talk. Just to talk, I swear," Magnus replied, looking at Alec seriously. He knew that Alec loved him just as he did - it was obvious from the roses and the blushes and the way he acted around Magnus, shy like he was with no one else. Magnus understood that Alec probably had his insecurities stemming from this society that drank off money, that thrived on bits of gold and copper. He needed to talk to Alec and make him understand.

The knocks came again, a little reluctant this time as if the guard was afraid of angering Magnus. _As he should be, _Magnus thought.

With one last look at Alec, he turned and left.

"Magnus!"

The harsh cry pulled Magnus out of his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, feeling as if he had suddenly woken up from a dream because someone splashed cold water on his face.

"Are you paying attention?"

Magnus blinked rapidly. His father had been talking about some proposal from the North, but he had been talking too long and his thoughts had strayed to a certain gardener who might visit his room tonight...

"_Magnus_!"

"Sorry, father," he said automatically. "But this proposal is rather dull."

It wasn't the proposal he was talking about. The actual dull thing frowned at him, his father's mouth curling as if he had tasted something bitter.

"It's bad enough that you're late," his father said, and Magnus thought, Ah, here we go again. "But now you're stooping so low as to ignore me while I work hard to bring such wonderful proposals for you?"

Magnus continued to ignore him, his thoughts just starting to drift towards red roses and soft lips when his father said, "Something's distracting you, Magnus."

Magnus snapped back to attention, but this time he had no words to say. His father shook his head sadly.

"Distractions often happen, but you must always choose to ignore them. They lead you away from your greater purpose, Magnus. You need to let them go."

"And what would that purpose be?" Magnus asked dryly. "Marrying someone I hardly know?"

"The main thing here is not who you marry, Magnus," his father said. "It's _why_ you marry them. You need a heir for the throne-"

"So _that's_ why you're so reluctant to let me see men?" Magnus asked incredulously. He was probably the only one in the entire palace who ever dared to interrupt his father. "So that's why out of all the people I've met over the past few months, only two or three are men? Is this why you look down on male proposals - because they can't have children?!"

His father, however, ignored him and rolled out another piece of parchment. 

"Take a look at this one," he said, his face red. It was a painting of a woman, with fair straight hair and skin just as pale, but Magnus wasn't interested, now or ever. He moved to roll up the parchment and leave, but his father grabbed his hand before he could so. 

"Magnus," he said, his voice tighter than it has ever been before, "is that _dirt_ on your hand?" 

Magnus turned his hand as much as he could in his father's grip and saw that there was indeed a smear of dirt on him. Cold horror washed over him when he realized it must have gotten there when he had touched Alec's shoulder earlier that evening.

"Have you been associating with servants again?" His father asked him. Magnus pulled his hand out of his father's grasp.

"Maybe I have," he answered coldly. "So _what_?"

Having flung those defiant words at his father, Magnus turned to leave. He could feel his father's eyes boring into his back but he wouldn't dare look back.

Alec sat at the open window in his quarters, which were located right next to the gardens. The window opened above a rosebush, and Alec absentmindedly brushed his fingers across a bud that was to bloom that night while he contemplated Magnus's offer. 

He couldn't help but think of an incident back from when he was still new here, still learning how to pull the right strings in this society. The morning had been bitterly cold, and when a certain young Prince saw him shivering, had offered him his own coat. Alec had gladly taken it, grateful for the warmth it provided but hadn't thought much about the gesture.

Until one of the head servants saw it with him.

He'd been furious to see Alec wearing a coat with the royal insignia. The coat had been taken away, and he had been given a beating. When he'd weakly protested that it was _Magnus_ who had given him the coat, had even insisted that he take the coat, the head servant had looked at him coldly and said, _You never take anything from the Royals, boy. Not even if they force you to._

He'd learnt an important lesson that day- to never take anything from a Royal, because a Royal's gifts always came with consequences.

But now, as he looked out at the roses sparsely spread across the bush in front of him, he couldn't help but think that just this once, he could let that go. He could take from a Royal, hold a Royal's heart.

Alec got up and left the room, leaving the bud to blossom on its own.


	3. A Secret Untold

Magnus had almost given up when a knock sounded at his bedroom door. He ran to it and threw it open, revealing Alec, who had his hand up as if he was about to knock again. Magnus quickly ushered him into the room, lest anyone see them. He closed the door and leaned back against it for a moment, taking in the sight of Alec in his bedroom. He was smiling at Magnus. Magnus smiled back.

"You came," he said, his voice low.

Alec nodded slowly. "I did."

They stared at each other for a few more moments, and then Alec looked away, a blush spreading across his face.

"I thought you said you wanted to talk," Alec muttered, fiddling with the hem of his parchment colored shirt.

"Of course," said Magnus, breaking out of his stupor. "Where have my manners gone? Let's sit and talk."

Magnus took Alec's hand and led him to the bed, insisting that they both got comfortable before they talked. Alec simply sat at the edge while Magnus actually made himself comfortable, leaning against the headboard and stretching his legs in front of him.

"So," Alec said, avoiding his eyes, "what did you want to talk about?"

"About us," Magnus replied. "Alexander, I..."

The words got caught in his throat. Alec looked at him then, his eyes bright and curious. Magnus had looked at many pairs of eyes before, and found many of them closed off like heavy oak doors. But Alec's eyes were unlike any eyes he had seen before - they were like great glass windows in spring time, open uninhibited to the world.

"I know how you feel about me. The roses have told me that much, at least. But I-" here, Magnus couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Alec was looking at him with mild surprise and anticipation.

"I usually depend on words to let people know how I feel. But even those words seem to fail me now," Magnus confessed. "I do not know how to tell you, Alec, that I-"

The words got stuck in his throat again, vexing Magnus greatly. They were just three simple words - _I love you_. Why was Magnus unable to say them?

"Tell me in your way then," Alec suggested softly. "I told you through my roses, so you tell me through your ways. There is more than one way to tell someone that you-"

Alec blushed hard, then looked away. Magnus smiled. So he wasn't the only one having this problem.

"Okay. Come here." Magnus tugged at Alec's hand, which was still in his. Alec scooted closer to him, Magnus shifting across the silk sheets till he was where he wanted to be. He snaked one arm around Alec's waist, drawing him in closer, the other going to rest against Alec's cheek. Magnus leaned in, kissing Alec right on the mouth. He tried to put in his all into that one kiss, trying to speak with every little movement.

_I love you, Alexander._

His lips pressed soft and firm against Alec's.

_You're the one for me, you're the only one perfect for me._

He pulled in Alec's bottom lip between his own. Alec took in a long, shuddering breath.

_I want you in my life, right here, by my side._

Magnus slid his tongue into Alec's mouth, whose hold on Magnus's clothes tightened

_I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No matter what others say, I will never let my love for you waver._

Their tongues interlaced, soft and warm, with each other. It was bliss.

_And I will never, ever, let you go._

Magnus pulled back his tongue, but kept his lips pressed to Alec's for a few more moments. Slowly, he pulled away, opening his eyes -he had closed them right before he kissed Alec- to find his gardener staring right back at him. Magnus didn't know whether or not Alec had gotten what he was trying to tell him, but he was looking at Magnus with a strange bright light in his eyes. His blush was as deep as the roses he brought to Magnus's room everyday.

"Why me?" Alec asked.

"Why not?" Magnus's hand was still resting on Alec's face, absentmindedly stroking his cheekbone.

"Because I'm me and you're... _You_." Alec shrugged.

"So?" Magnus enquired. "I may be a Prince, Alexander, but you're kind, and selfless, and-"

Alec shook his head and moved away from Magnus, looking away from him. He crossed his arms and said, "Magnus, I'm _nothing_ compared to you. I'm just a lowly gardener. I may know how to plant beautiful roses but I don't even know how to spell that word."

"And I care about none of that," Magnus declared, moving both his hands to place them on Alec's shoulders. "I don't care about what you're like, Alec. I love you as you are, and you don't have to change any of it for me. If need be, I'm ready to give up this life if it means I get to be with you." Alec looked shocked and whipped his head to look at Magnus. Magnus moved one of his hands back to Alec's cheek. 

"And Alec, I swear," he said, enunciating every word clearly so that Alec could understand that he meant what he said, "that I'll do everything I can to keep you here by my side. I mean it."

The room fell silent, as if every object around Magnus could sense the finality in his words. Alec looked the most surprised Magnus had ever seen. He wished Alec would say something, _anything_.

"You lied," he said at last. Magnus was perplexed.

"What?"

"When you said that words were failing you," Alec said, and slowly smiled as well. "You lied."

Magnus only laughed and pulled Alec in for another kiss.

Magnus woke up the next day feeling like he was in heaven. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Alec Lightwood was in love with him.

He practically skipped down the stairs that day. At breakfast, his father appeared to be in a bad mood which only made his own mood better. Sometimes, he caught a glimpse of Alec working in the garden, smiling as if he held a beautiful secret. Could this day get any more perfect?

Sometime in the late afternoon, when Magnus was in the library, books open before him but not a single word entering his mind, for his mind was filled with thoughts of Alec, two guards came in and informed him that his father wanted to see him. _Immediately_.

He shrugged it off and let them escort him to the throne room. He supposed he could excuse a little bad in a day full of good.

But, to his shock and surprise, he found Alec being escorted by two guards in the hallway outside the throne room. Their eyes met as they walked towards each other. Alec looked just as puzzled as Magnus felt. He tried to assure Alec, with a simple look, that it would be all fine.

But they had already reached the room, and they had to look away as they entered, as if drawing invisible hands away from each other. The King, sitting on his throne, regarded Magnus thoughtfully, his eyes occasionally flicking over to Alec. And then, for the first time that Magnus saw, he got up from the throne, furiously stalking towards Alec and hit him in the face.

"Alec!" Magnus cried out, moving to get to Alec. But the guards flanking him grabbed each of his arms to stop him.

"Foolish boy," his father hissed. Alec stood in front of him, his head hung low, one hand on his face where the King had hit him. Magnus wanted to go over to him, wanted to brush his fingers over the glaring red skin and make it better. He also wanted to hit his own father in the face.

"You thought you could have the Prince? The _Prince_?!" The King turned away, and made a flicking gesture at the guards. "Take him to the dungeons. A few nights in there should help him regain his common sense."

"_No_!" Letting out a strangled cry, Magnus wrenched himself free of the guards and hurled himself towards Alec.

"Magnus!" Alec tore free of his guards' grips and moved towards Magnus. They collided in the middle, their arms going around each other. Magnus held on tight, a sudden fear seizing him - that if he let Alec go now, he would never see him again.

The King was yelling something in the background, and then Alec was wrenched away from him.

"Alec, no!" Magnus stretched his arm towards Alec, who had an arm stretched towards him, too. Alec's lips formed the shape of Magnus's name, and his guards pulled him away and out of the room in a flash. Just like that, Alec was gone.

Magnus wanted to follow him, and he was about to when he felt a sharp strike across his face.

"And _you_, you insolent brat," his father said, his voice shaking with rage. Magnus looked down at the ground, his heart feeling as if someone had punched a hole in it. "Is this why you've turning down every proposal? For a filthy gardener boy?" 

Magnus did not answer.

"Very well. Forget all that. I know of this lovely lady, Camille Belcourt. You shall marry her, and-"

"No." The single syllable echoed around the room. The King moved to stand in front of Magnus.

"Still thinking about that boy," he said, and Magnus went cold all over. He looked up into his father's eyes, which were colder still. "Let me remind you, Magnus, that his life is now in my hands. If you really cared about him, you'd choose wisely." 

Magnus did not miss the thinly veiled threat. _Marry her, or the man you love shall die_.

"Fine," Magnus spat. If it meant that Alec would be safe, then fine. He could do it. "But on one condition. Promise me that you'll let him go once I'm married. _Promise me_."

"All right." His father's eyes were stony as he looked at him. "I promise."

"And if you don't stand by your promise," Magnus added, "I shall jump out of a window and leave this kingdom to the dogs."

Something flashed in the King's eyes, but he dismissed Magnus without another word. The guards escorted him away from the throne room and Magnus let them, the hole in his heart growing larger with every step.

How did such a perfect day go to ruins so suddenly?


	4. A Message

Camille Belcourt was too clingy.

Magnus’s beloved was in prison, his life was possibly on the balance, and Magnus was getting married to someone he didn’t want. Apparently the Gods didn’t deem this as suffering enough and made his bethroed turn out to be someone who clinged on to his arm like a lizard, like she was doing now.

“Those cakes were absolutely divine, weren’t they?” Camille asked. Magnus muttered something in agreement. He had hated the cake tasting, maybe more than any other part of the wedding preparations. All he could think of was that his beloved was in prison, eating some sort of disgusting prison food, while he ate cake in luxury. It was maddening.

Nearly a week had passed since Magnus’s father found out about his relationship with Alec. It had hardly even been a relationship. Magnus couldn’t help but think of what his beloved Alec was going through down there, every second of every minute of every day. He couldn’t live his own life without worrying about Alec. He couldn’t sleep, for the luxurious bed made him wonder how Alec was faring, on the cold stone floor. He couldn’t go out into the gardens, and look at the sunlight and wonder how Alec was doing in the deep darkness of the dungeons. He couldn’t spend a single minute not worrying about how scared Alec probably felt.

“Magnus?”

“Hm? Oh yes,” Magnus said, snapping out of his daze. “The cakes. They were very nice.”

Camille frowned at him. “I was telling you that I have to go. To choose my dress.”

“Oh.” Magnus blinked. “Okay, go on then.”

Camille made some coy joke about how he wasn’t allowed to see her in it, and left after placing a kiss on his cheek. Magnus wanted to recoil from it, but held his ground. It felt wrong when anyone touched him like that, anyone who wasn’t Alec, as if Alec had made a claim on him and no one even noticed. He wanted to see Alec, _badly_.

Then Magnus realised that this was the first time since Alec was taken away that he was truly alone - no guards escorting him hither and thither, no father, no Camille clinging on to him. So he did the one thing he wanted to do - he ran for the dungeons.

Magnus’s heart was thudding heavily as he ran down the hallways. He wanted to see Alec so badly, and he was so, so close-

The clang of metal on metal pulled him out of his thoughts. He was in front of the entrance to the dungeons, and the guards on either side had restricted his entrance by crossing their spears.

“We’re sorry, Your Highness,” said one of the guards, “But we were given orders not to let you in.”

Over many years, Magnus had learnt one thing - that whatever people did, they did it out of fear or want. But often, the want was always greater than the fear. These guards were holding back Magnus from what he wanted, simply because they were afraid of his father.

“Well, that’s a shame,” Magnus drawled. “I was planning to give you both a pay raise, you know. After I became King. I might have to reconsider.”

The want was greater than the fear.

The guards exchanged a look with each other, then retracted their spears. Magnus moved, muttering a “Meet me after my coronation,” as he went. The dungeons were dark and damp and smelly, just as he’d predicted, but it only made his fear worse.

At last he found Alec, sitting in his cell, leaning against the damp wall and staring into the darkness. He looked paler than usual, his face gaunt and gray. What had they done to him?

“Alec,” Magnus said quietly, and when Alec didn’t reply, he added, “Alec, it’s me. Magnus. Your Magnus.”

“I know,” Alec replied in that same quiet voice. It was the only way he had acknowledged Magnus’s presence so far. “Why are you here?”

Magnus blinked. “I came to see you,” he whispered, as if it was the most obvious thing.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Alec said, and the words, coming from Alec himself, stabbed through Magnus’s heart like arrows. “Just go. You’ve already done enough.”

“Alec,” Magnus said, his voice breaking just like his heart, “What are you talking about?”

“Somebody once told me,” Alec explained with seeming irrelevance, “never to accept anything from the royals. Not even if they forced you to. I thought I could let that go just this once. I thought I could have you. And look where that got me.”

Alec raised his hand, and Magnus saw, for the first time since he came, the manacles around his wrists.

_They chained him_, he realised._ They chained him like he’s some great criminal, but he just loved me. That’s all he ever did_.

“Alexander, I-“ Magnus stretched his arm through the iron bars, trying to reach out to Alec. But Alec moved away from him, his chains clanking as he did so. He still wasn’t looking at Magnus. A terrible silence fell over the two.

“I’m sorry,” Magnus said at last, and left for he couldn’t bear to stay there a moment longer.

Alec had no idea how long he sat there since Magnus left.

His heart had broken into a thousand million pieces when he sent Magnus away, but it had to be done. There was no place for someone like he in Magnus’s world, and he had learnt a long time ago that there was no use trying to fit in to a place where you didn’t belong.

He could hear footsteps approaching, but he didn’t bother opening his eyes. It was probably not worth his time. But then the door of his cell creaked open, and he opened his eyes, and gasped. Outside his cell stood Isabelle and Jace, a big ring of keys in Isabelle’s hand.

He was about to say something but Jace shushed him, bending down along with Isabelle to unlock the manacles. 

“Magnus sent us,” Jace explained in a hushed whisper, and Alec’s heart broke again.

“Magnus?” 

“Yeah,” Isabelle said, her eyes lighting up. “He sent us a message soon after you got thrown in here, but it took us this long to come up with a good plan. I’m really surprised, by the way. I always expected it to be Jace in jail.”

Jace scowled at Isabelle, but Alec was still worried about the whole ordeal. 

“What if you guys get caught?” Alec whispered. “What if something happens to you?”

Jace and Isabelle exchanged a look, then turned back to Alec.

“Alec,” Jace said, and for the first time Alec saw humility in his eyes. “You’ve done a lot for us, already. Let us do this one thing for you.”

“Yes, brother,” Isabelle added. “You don’t have to take care of us anymore. We’re grown up now. We can look after ourselves and Max. Go live your life.”

Alec smiled at them both, tears filling his eyes. He couldn’t help but feel grateful for having his siblings. Jace and Isabelle were so annoying, and even though he yelled at them almost all the time, he was glad he had them. Here was one place where he knew he would always belong.

The last of the manacles fell and Alec hastily wiped his tears away. “Come on. Let’s go,” he said.

“Can you walk?” Jace asked him, “or should I carry you?”

“I can walk,” Alec replied, but slung an arm around Jace’s shoulder anyway.

They hurried out of the dungeon, and Alec was not too surprised when he saw Max pretending to wail while the guards surrounded him in an attempt to quieten him. _So this is how they got in_.

“Go,” Isabelle said, giving her brothers a shove. “I’ll deal with them and join you later."

Jace nodded at her and the two set off in the direction of Alec’s quarters. Alec asked him where they were going and Jace explained that Alec was going to stay with Aline Penhallow, a close friend. He and Isabelle had already packed Alec’s stuff. There was simply the matter of retrieving it.

Surprisingly, they encountered very few guards on the way, whom they managed to evade. At last, when they reached Alec’s quarters, Alec sat down on the bed, its lumpy cushions feeling like heaven after that hard stone floor. Jace was collecting Alec’s things, but Alec wasn’t looking- his gaze was on the rose by the window. The last time he saw it, it had still been a bud. Now it was a large, fluffy rose in full bloom, the kind that Princes hunted down to give to their ladies, the kind that Princesses braided their hair with. Slowly, he reached out and plucked it from the plant.

“Jace,” he asked, turning to his brother, “could you do me one last favour?”

Magnus slowly trudged to his room. It was a long day, and very, very exhausting. Or maybe he just felt more drained than usual because-

_No_, Magnus thought firmly. _Don’t even think of it._

He reached his room, only to stop short when he opened the door. In the vase on one side of the room stood a lone red rose_._

Magnus let out a sigh and went for it, pulling it out of its place and pressing it to his lips as if it were Alexander himself. This had to be a sign. Alec was safe. And he could go through anything, as long as Alec was safe. He would be safe there, away from his father’s clutches_._

He stared at the rose longingly. He had contacted Alec’s siblings, had arranged for him to be taken away. He had planned to run away when he got a chance, to marry Alec and bring him back as his Consort, but it was all different now that Alec had said that he didn’t want Magnus anymore.

The room suddenly felt stifling, the rose like a dead weight in Magnus’s hands. He carefully placed it beside the vase, and left the room once again to take a walk through the palace. Atleast, that was what he was going to do until he saw a familiar face walking through the halls.

He’d seen that face before, once when he’d sneaked out of the palace and went to a criminal’s den, just for the kicks. Master assassin, they called her. Shinyun Jung. But what was she doing here?

Magnus followed her, his footsteps as quiet as falling snowflakes, and was shocked when he saw her go into the throne room. Carefully, Magnus sidled up next to the entrance, trying to listen to as much conversation as he could.

“Miss Jung,” his father was saying. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard that you’re... very good in your area of expertise.”

“I am.”

“Good, good. Now, Miss Jung, you see, there is this vile man trying to throw my son off track. Trying to get him for power. I’ve locked him up but it appears that he has escaped.”

“How unfortunate.”

Magnus cracked a smile at her sarcastic tone, although his heart was beating a million miles per minute. His father, however, didn’t catch it.

“Now, I can’t just let commoners get their dirty hands all over my palace, Miss Jung. It isn’t proper. And that man, unfortunately, seems to have my son under his thumb. It is very unfortunate.”

“What do you want me to do about it?” Magnus noted that Shinyun never referred to his father in any formal manner. She officially had his respect.

“Oh, it’s a very simple thing for you, I’m sure,” said Magnus’s father. “I want you to find Alexander Lightwood, and _kill him_.”


	5. A Declaration

Aline's home had a garden that, while not as grand as the Royal palace's, was certainly beautiful.

Alec stood in the garden, hunched over a row of tulips and plucking out the weeds that had cropped up there. Every now and then, his gaze would flicker to the rosebush in the corner.

It was stupid, he thought. The garden had the tulips, of course, which were one of the most beautiful flowers Alec had ever seen. There were the sunflowers, which always turned to face the sun like stout devotees. There were the lilies, with all their elegance and grace. There were the dahlias and petunias and mulberry. Then why did Alec keep looking at the roses?

He knew what the answer was, of course. He looked at the roses once again. Aline often scolded him whenever she found him out here, but Alec felt like he needed to do _something_, to get his mind off Magnus, so he did the one thing he knew well. But even that didn't work. The rosebush stood in the corner, full of lush red roses, like a phantom stalking its victim.

Alec stood up, his mind whirring at full speed. His gaze was still on the roses.

"That man is going to be the death of me," he muttered, and turned back into the house.

Magnus stood in front of the long mirror, adjusting his wedding clothes.

Weddings normally took a long time to prepare for, but his father had rushed them, afraid that Magnus would elope if left alone for long. He was right of course- Magnus would have definitely eloped, if Alec had still wanted him. But he didn't.

It still hurt everytime he thought about it, like a knife twisting into his heart. Even now, it was Alec that he wanted, Alec that he wished to marry. He wondered why life had to be like this. Why did he have to lose that which he wanted so badly?

He looked at the mirror again, and thought of last night, when he and his father had talked. His father had told him all about how proud he was of Magnus, that he'd chosen to marry a wise and noble woman, as if he hadn't manipulated the situation to be in his favor. Magnus had manipulated the situation, too. The effects still didn't show themselves, and yet guilt stabbed Magnus everytime he thought of it.

He shook off those morbid thoughts, and tried to focus on the wedding instead. On marrying someone he didn't want, which wasn't something he liked to think of. Unfortunately, it was going to be his reality, soon.

Magnus had imagined, several times, what it would be like when he and Alec got married, when he had thought that that would be his reality. Even now, he couldn't imagine a life without Alec - they had known each other for a long, long time. He remembered a night, a couple of nights after when Alec first came to the palace with one kid in his arms and two more clinging to his sleeves. He remembered that he had stolen salve from the infirmary, remembered sitting on the steps near the gardens, Alec's hands in his - the gardener was so young then, and so inexperienced, he was bound to cut his hands on a few thorns. Magnus had always tried to help Alec in any way he could, even when Alec refused it.

Tears began to pool up in Magnus's eyes, and he slowly wiped them away before they could fall. This was just the way of life. He had to accept it. Except he couldn't. God, how he wished that it was Alec he was marrying, that it would Alec standing in front of him at the altar, that it was Alec he would he reciting vows to.

At that moment, the door opened, and a figure cloaked in black came in, locking the door. Magnus whirled on them, incredulous.

"Hey! Who are you?!"

"Magnus," the figure gasped, lowering their good. Magnus had to do a double-take, taking in the person's dark, unruly hair and pale skin, his warm calloused hands and warmer eyes. "It's me."

"Alexander," Magnus whispered, hardly believing it. He'd wanted Alec to be here, so badly, and here he was. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"You never visited me," Alec said out of the blue, rather petulantly. Magnus blinked. "You never visited, or wrote, or even tried to contact me. And yet you claim to love me."

Magnus let out a sound that was half sob, half disbelieving laughter, and surged towards Alec, pulling him into a hug. Alec hugged him back, and Magnus whispered, "Alec, my Alec, I missed you so much."

"Me too," Alec said, and pulled away enough that he could look at Magnus, and not so much so that they were still in each other's arms. 

"Why did you come?" Magnus asked. "I thought you wouldn't want to be there. That you'd go- that you'd out into the world."

"But Magnus," Alec said, putting a hand on Magnus's cheek, his eyes shining. "I don't want the world. I want _you_."

Magnus smiled, the smile as bright as the sun itself, and placed his own hand over Alec's.

"And Magnus," he continued. "All these days I've spent without you, I realized something. I can't live without you." And then, sounding as if he were about to fall over the edge of a cliff, he added, "I love you, Magnus."

Feeling like he was falling off a cliff himself, Magnus said, "I love you too, Alec."

Alec smiled back at him, his smile an exact replica of Magnus's, and Magnus wondered if it was possible for someone to be this happy. His heart felt like it was going to burst with it all.

"Have you been crying?" Alec asked softly, his thumb brushing over the skin under Magnus's eye. Magnus gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Not anymore," he promised.

Alec's soft eyes looked at Magnus, and he asked, "Do you have an inconspicuous cloak?"

"Yes," Magnus replied, confused. "But why?"

"Put it on," Alec said, his face suddenly serious. "We're leaving."


	6. A Symbol of Eternal Love

Magnus and Alec had managed to get out of the palace safely. They’d coursed through the halls with no one noticing them - except for one.

At one point, they both had run into Camille. She was alone, thank goodness, and was dressed, like Magnus was, in her wedding clothes, looking beautiful. She’d somehow recognised Magnus under his cloak - she hadn’t said anything, but Magnus saw it in her eyes- but she’d taken one look at his and Alec’s interlaced hands and stepped aside. Magnus had moved ahead without meeting her eyes, Alec right behind him.

Now they were in the city, walking side by side, still holding hands. Magnus cherished this moment, of openly walking through the city, openly holding his beloved’s hand. 

“Where are we going?” Magnus asked for the umpteenth time. Alec’s smile was secretive as he replied,

“You’ll see.”

Soon, the church rose up in front of them, with its imposing cathedrals. Large stained glass windows were set in the stone wall. Magnus stared at the church, and then at Alec. He didn’t stop, not until they stopped right in front of the church.

“Magnus,” Alec said, moving to stand in front of him and taking his hands, “I know it’s a little early for me to ask this of you, but.. God, I just.. I just need to know, I guess, that you won’t be going anywhere. I think this is the only way we can be together while making sure that they won’t be able to separate us anymore.”

Magnus blinked. Alec was clearly nervous, and he wasn’t making much sense either. 

“Alec,” he said reassuringly, and leaned in till their foreheads touched. “I won’t be leaving you. Ever. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“No.” Alec shook his head. “No, I- God, I want to. I want to do this so badly. But it’s... it’s a difficult thing to ask of you.”

Magnus closed the distance between them, kissing Alec briefly before he pulled away. “If you want it so badly, and if I can grant it for you, then I shall do everything in my power to give it to you. Ask, Alexander.”

He had a slight hunch about what Alec wanted, but he kept it to himself. A small bubble of hope grew within him.

“Okay,” Alec said, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed down his nerves. He fell gracefully to his knees, Magnus’s hands still in his, and looked up into Magnus’s eyes. “Okay. Magnus Bane,” he spoke, his eyes bright with anticipation, and Magnus’s own heart was thudding hard in his chest, “Will you do me the honour of being my husband?”

Everything seemed to come to a stop, all of a sudden - the voices of the townspeople as they went about their day, the scrape of wheels against the road, even the thudding of Magnus's own heart. His hands tightened in Alec's, and he said, smiling brightly, "Yes."

Alec returned the smile. It spread it to his eyes, lighting them up like twin stars. Alec got to his feet, pulling in Magnus for a kiss, and suddenly the world seemed to spin a little faster. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec, and pulled him in closer for one brief, deep kiss. Alec's eyes were still shining as he pulled away from Magnus.

"Let's go," he said, and moved towards the front doors of the church, pulling Magnus along. Magnus's eyes widened.

"Right now?" He asked. 

"Right now," Alec confirmed, and pushed open the doors. Alec had clearly done some thinking beforehand - the aisle was lined with flowers, boquets of red and white until the altar, which was decked with flowers too. Red roses, mainly, but also a few bunches of white roses thrown in. To one side were Alec's siblings, smiling broadly, and another dark-haired woman he didn't recognize. And to the other...

"Catarina? Ragnor?"

They were Magnus's friends from town. He had met them during one of his escapades, and had always visited them afterwards. He didn't know how they knew to be here, but he was grateful all the same.

Catarina smiled at him. “You really thought we’d leave you alone on the big day?”

Ragnor, standing beside her, appraised Alec instead. “So this is the Alexander we’ve heard so much about.”

Alec blushed. Magnus smiled at him.

“Magnus,” Alec said in a low voice, and indicated the dark-haired girl standing with his siblings with a jerk of his head. “That is Aline.”

Magnus nodded at her. “Thank you for taking care of Alec.”

Aline dismissed his thanks with a wave of her hand. “It was no problem,” she said.

He turned back to Alec, but Alec was already looking at him. Alec squeezed his hand. “Shall we?”

Magnus smiled and nodded. That was enough. They walked towards the altar, hand-in-hand, together as one. Magnus could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and his palms were sweaty, though Alec didn’t seem to mind. He stopped just short of the altar and let go of Magnus’s hand to take off his cloak. Underneath, he was wearing formal blue robes.

As a royal, Magnus had been obligated to wear gold instead of blue, as custom indicated. He removed his own cloak, revealing the rich gold robes he was wearing underneath. By the time he left them on one of the pews, Alec had already climbed the stone steps to the altar. He now stood in front of the priest, and was looking at Magnus expectantly. 

Magnus went to stand in front of him, and took Alec’s hands in his. He’d expected Alec to be nervous, but he didn’t seem to be- his hands in Magnus’s were steady.

The ceremony began. Magnus had been waiting for a long time, and at last, here it was.

“Blessings and merry meet,” the priest intoned. “Gentle lords and ladies, their bans having been published, we are here today to join the Fair Prince Magnus Bane and the Noble Alexander Lightwood together. They have asked you here to share in their joy, and to declare their love for one another before you as a community.” The priest turned to Alec, and asked, “Do you Alexander Lightwood, take unto thyself as husband the Fair Prince Magnus Bane and pledge unto him before God and these witnesses to be his protector, defender and sure resort, to honor and sustain him, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, with all thy worldly powers, to cherish and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” Alec said, his gaze not wavering from Magnus. The priest turned to him, next.

“Do you Prince Magnus Bane, take unto thyself the Noble Alexander Lightwood to be thy rightful lord Husband and pledge unto him before God and these witnesses to honor and cherish him, to cleave unto him, in sickness and in health, in fair and in foul, be his one true and lasting counselor and solace, and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” Magnus said, and felt amazed for a moment, because only a few hours ago he had been preparing himself to say these words in a completely different room, for a completely different person.

The priest held his hands out, and Max stepped forward, placing a cushion of velvet in his hands. On the velvet gleamed two rings of gold.

“Heavenly Father,” the priest turned his head upward as he spoke, “bless these rings which Noble Alexander Lightwood and Fair Prince Magnus Bane have set apart to be visible signs of the inward and spiritual bond which unites their hearts. As they give and receive these rings, may they testify to the world of the covenant made between them.”

He handed one to the rings to Alec, who carefully slid it onto the ring finger of Magnus’s left hand, and said, “Receive and wear this ring as a symbol of my trust, my respect and my love for you.”

Magnus repeated the same, sliding an identical ring onto Alec’s hand while saying the same words. Behind him, he could hear Isabelle sniffling. He could sympathise.

“This circle will now seal the vows of this marriage and will symbolize the purity and endlessness of their love,” the priest said. “Before I proclaim you joined thou must kiss three times on cue.”

Magnus resisted the urge to grin at Alec, though he could feel his lips twitch up involuntarily into a smile. Alec caught the smile, and returned one of his own.

“Once for luck,”

Magnus leaned in, kissing Alec on the mouth.

“Twice for Love”

It seemed almost impossible, that they were kissing not just for the sake of kissing, but for getting married.

“..and Thrice for Long life.”

Magnus’s lips lingered a little longer on Alec’s, and he pulled away. Alec was looking at him with a strange light in his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered if God was real. He almost didn’t hear the priest as he said,

“By the Power Vested in me by the Realm, I now pronounce you Alexander Lightwood-Bane and Prince Magnus Lightwood-Bane.”

Alec smiled at him, then, the smile lighting up his eyes and taking Magnus’s breath away. 

Sometimes, he wondered if God had come to him in the form of Alexander Lightwood.

“So, what now?” Alec asked. Their friends had left not so long ago, having congratulated them both. There was a rather awkward moment when Isabelle broke down in Alec’s arms, and another one where Magnus’s friends had claimed that he used to write poetry about Alec, (He didn’t), but Magnus cherished them all the same.

Magnus shrugged. “We go back to the palace, I guess.”

Alec looked at him. They were standing on the front steps of the church, and the sunlight fell on Alec’s face, tumbling into his eyes. Magnus wished he could stay there forever, just looking into those eyes. “What about your father? I thought we’d lie low for a few days, before going to see him.”

Magnus looked away. They might be married now, but he was still worried about how Alec would take it when he found out about what Magnus did. “I... I doubt he’ll be much of a problem now.”

Alec frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

Magnus still didn’t meet his gaze. “That day you escaped... I overheard a conversation between my father and another woman. An assassin. He.. he wanted to get you killed.” Magnus’s eyes flickered to the ground. He still felt sick all over just thinking of it. “I was angry, Alec. I met that assassin as she was leaving, and offered her another deal. To spare you and kill my father instead.” When Alec did not say anything, he added, “I imagine he’s gone by now.”

Unable to take the silence anymore, he turned to Alec, looking him right in the eye, and asked, “Was it wrong? What I did?”

Alec reached up to put a hand on Magnus’s face, caressing his cheek. “I won’t tell you whether you did right or wrong, Magnus,” he said. “Because, on one hand, this is your father we’re talking about. On the other...” his eyes darkened. “When I was in those dungeons, I talked with the other prisoners sometimes. It’s _horrible_, Magnus. Many of them were in there for trivial things - stealing food, not paying their taxes because they didn’t have enough money. Things like that. I can only imagine, from hearing their stories, how life is outside the palace. Magnus, these people are not happy because of your father. I don’t think anyone has ever been made happy by your father. And as for whether it’s right or wrong...” Alec shrugged. “Who am I to play God?”

Magnus smiled at him. “Shall we go home then?”

Alec nodded at him. “We shall.”

As soon as they reached the palace gates, the guards rushed to inform Magnus that his father was lying on his deathbed.

“We should go see him,” Alec said immediately, turning to Magnus. Magnus’s gaze was faraway. 

“I don’t want to,” he said.

“You’ll regret it,” Alec said softly, brushing Magnus’s hair away from his face with his fingers. “I had parents once, Magnus. I know how hard it is so lose them. Please.”

Magnus relented with a sigh, and they went up to the King’s room, holding hands. The entire palace was quiet, as if it was holding its breath.

At last, they reached the room, Magnus pulling in Alec beside him despite his protests. The King was indeed laying on the bed, surrounded by ministers, his eyes flickering to Magnus and Alec. Alec could see black lines creeping up his neck as he turned to look at them, and was momentarily horrified. What had that assassin done to him?

“Magnus,” the King rasped. “What have you-“

“I got married,” Magnus said simply. “To someone much better than any of those proposals you got me.”

The King scowled. He opened his mouth to speak, but a coughing fit took him before he could say anything.

Magnus looked away, and Alec saw a brief flash of pain in his eyes. 

“I don’t even know why I agreed to this,” he murmured. “Let’s go, Alec.”

“Magnus,” Alec admonished silently, putting a hand on his arm. Magnus looked back at his father, but the King was looking at Alec instead. Magnus’s eyes softened.

“He _is_ nice, isn’t he?” Magnus said, and it took Alec a moment to realise that his husband was talking about him. “Makes you wish you were alive, so that you could get to know and like him, doesn’t he?”

The King shook his head. “I’d rather.. die, than... than see my bloodline get overrun with.. with commoners.”

Magnus’s eyes darkened, and he turned away, pulling Alec with him. They didn’t stop until they left that hallway, till Magnus stopped short and leaned heavily against the stone wall closest to him.

“Magnus,” Alec whispered, the unasked question hanging between them. _Are you okay?_

“I don’t care,” Magnus declared. “So what if he choses to die with hate in his heart? I don’t care, it’s.. it’s his choice. I-“

But then Magnus’s voice shook and he pulled Alec close, holding him tightly as he broke down. Alec held him, one hand moving to stroke his hair, being there for his husband as best as he could.

He didn’t understand Magnus’s grief, and he didn’t pretend to, but the least he could do was help him through it all.

Magnus sat on the stone ledge, overlooking the celebrations before him along with his husband. They’d both foregone the traditional wedding ball, and instead threw a feast in the palace grounds. The entire city had been invited. Magnus and Alec had both agreed that it was a much better idea than the ball. Besides, Alec had practically been shuddering at the thought of making small talk with all those nobles and lords who had once been considered higher than him.

He was presently leaning his head against Magnus’s shoulder, twirling a red rose in his hands. Magnus dropped a kiss on the top of his head and asked, “Enjoying yourself?”

Alec nodded against his shoulder. “Much better than the ball.”

It had been a month or so since they got married, and Magnus still wasn’t quite used to waking up with Alec in his bed. He suspected Alec wasn’t used to it, either. He still worked in the garden, sometimes, and Magnus let him, knowing that gardening was something that Alec couldn’t, and wouldn’t let go.

He still walked into his bedroom every night to the sight of roses in his vase, except now it was accompanied by the sight of Alec sitting on their bed. They both stayed in Magnus’s old bedroom, in the North tower, not having the heart to move their things to the old King’s bedroom.

“It is,” Magnus said, and reached up to adjust his crown. He had chosen this day to not just celebrate his marriage to Alec, but also because it was his coronation. Alec looked up at the movement, then kept looking.

“I suppose you want a crown of your own?” Magnus asked, smiling lightly.

“I’ll pass,” Alec replied, blushing.

“You’ll need one, though. You’re the Prince consort.”

“Well, since I don’t have a choice... But nothing flashy, okay?”

“I can’t make any promises.” Magnus reached around Alec, fingers brushing the rose, the flower that had, in a way, brought them together.

There was still much to be done, laws to be changed. It would be difficult for the both of them, but he hoped they’d get through it. They would. They’d gotten through worse.

_Besides_, he reminded himself, looking at the wedding ring gleaming gold on Alec’s hand, _We’re married. He’s not going anywhere._

“Magnus,” Alec said suddenly, “I love you."

Magnus looked at him, mildly surprised. “I love you, too.”

Alec caught his look, and shrugged. “I just felt like saying it.”

Magnus smiled, and leaned in. Below them, the celebrations were raging on, even as night came. Everything was perfect.


End file.
